Some 90 people have had their Dutch citizenship revoked over the past four years, RTL reported on Monday, citing figures from immigration service IND.

Dutch nationality can only be taken away if the person holds another passport as well because countries are not allowed under international law to make people stateless.

In total 60 people had to hand in their passports because of they had been involved in terrorism, had served prison terms longer than eight years or had joined an organisation which participates in armed conflict and poses a danger to national security.

The remaining 30 were foreign nationals who had acquired Dutch nationality but had not done enough to give up their original passport – as required under Dutch rules on naturalisation, the IND confirmed to Dutch News.

Terrorism

According to caretaker junior justice minister Arno Rutte, revoking Dutch nationality is a “rare and drastic” measure. “Dutch nationality gives you rights but responsibilities as well. People who systematically ignore their responsibilities will face the consequences,” he told RTL Nieuws.

Rutte said the figures show how seldom the measure is applied. “These are individual and legally complex cases which are weighed with due care,” he said.

GroenLinks-PvdA MP Songul Mutluer told RTL she is in favour of a tough approach to terrorism but doubts whether taking away citizenship is the way to tackle the problem. “It may seem to promote security but people disappear, and fall off the radar. And that can create more risks,” she said.